If I Could
by Miles Edgeworth
Summary: Think of the weirdest couple you've seen in a Teen Titans fic. Now make it weirder and toss in a horrific plotline. Yeah. Be afraid.


_Disclaimer: Teen Titans = Belongingto(Marv Wolfman)_

_Me != Marv Wolfman_

_Teen Titans != Belongingto(me)                                                                                                 _

_It's simple logic, man! Use it!_

_Furthermore, I don't know why, but I felt like doing a completely unlikely and yet totally funny romance. Take the creepiest and most condescending of the H.A.E.Y.P. kids and put her with the most outspoken of the Titans…_

_They'll probably kill each other by the time this personality clash catches up with them._

_This is decidedly darker than I had originally intended, but in a good way. It's still a bit funny, but not so much as it had originally shaped to be.  
However, if you have any spare reviews hanging around, send them my way, won't ya? Thanks, darlings._

**_If I Could_**

The Teen Titans, mighty heroes who have been assembled from all across the galaxy, but mainly America. They were the most powerful combination of super heroes one could ask for; each of their powers could capitalize on another. They were capable of defeating any challenge in time for pizza. They stood for Truth and Justice and some stuff like that, and they also fought to stay out of school.

Mightiest of these heroes was the genius of Cyborg. He had intelligence, a legacy of his family, and he had power, a legacy of his father. He was seemingly untouchable. He was the Cyborg, master of gaming and street-tough punk. No one had to know about his genius. He kept that locked away inside. However, he was more than eager to show the H.A.E.Y.P. dweebs exactly what kind of power he had gotten with his prosthetics.

"Hey, Teen Boobs!" Gizmo taunted, "Head's up!"  The haunting sorceress descended from the air, gently. As soon as her foot touched the ground, her hexes flew about the street.

"Attack Pattern: Sigma," she declared, calmly.

The graduates had been planning for a rematch. They had researched the Titans recent tactics and had planned for it accordingly. They entitled the plan "Sigma", mainly because then they'd be wondering what the other plans between Alpha and Sigma were. Gizmo had cackled maniacally all night after coming up with that. They had confronted the Titans outside of the Museum of Natural History late that evening. Gizmo had gone in to set off the alarm, and the Titans were there within the hour.

"That's not going to work," Raven declared calmly. The hexes crippled two of the streetlights, causing them to fall down on the Titans. Raven chanted as her power flowed, placing the streetlights under her spell and gently to the side. Gizmo flew overhead, a glider popping out of his bottomless backpack of tricks.

"Bombs away!" he announced, as he glided overhead. He waited a second and then small flash bombs fell from his belt. Jinx grinned and closed her eyes, cart wheeling across the street. Robin alerted the Titans. They covered their eyes while Jinx cart wheeled past them. Cyborg saw her. __

What's she trying to do, prancing about like a gymnast everywhere? He thought to himself. The flashes barely disturbed his infrared eye. "Guys, Jinx is up to something," he warned. 

"You're not going to catch me," she taunted in spite of herself. Hexes flew as she went down the street, hitting the next five streetlights down. "Just give up,"

"That's so not happening, you demented clown girl!"

"Clown girl? I happen to apply just the right amount of make-up every morning!"

"If your name's Bozo!"

"What? I, I'm so insulted!" she tried to recover, "I'm being insulted by a Samuel L. Jackson wannabe!"

Raven meanwhile smiled, "They're attempting to cut off our visibility,"

"You're laughing," Robin said, "What's wrong?"

"Dudes, look," Beast Boy quipped, starting to laugh, "Cyborg's got Jinx out of action," the sorceress was currently pounding away at Cyborg's chest, angrily,

"I do not dye my hair!"

"You're right, that's the ugliest wig I ever seen, girl,"

"It seems as though Cyborg has convinced Jinx to resolve our difference through words instead of violence. If only other villains were intelligent enough to see that violence solves nothing," Starfire said, not totally understanding the bickering that was going on.

Neither did Gizmo, "Jinx, c'mon! We don't got time for this. Leave the snot alone!" He whipped out his cell-phone, "Mammoth, we got a change in plans. Go with plan Sigma-Delta." Gizmo grinned widely, "Here we go!"

The ground began to shake as Mammoth's might hands dug into the earth. He pounded at the street, cracking it slowly. The mighty giant punctured the earth, and a fissure broke underneath the Titans.

"What was that?" Beast Boy asked, he leapt to one edge of the fissure,

"I don't know! Was that Mammoth?" Robin also leapt to the same edge of the fissure,

"Oh my," Starfire said, floating over the chasm, "Cyborg! Be careful!"

"Hm, I don't think he's listening," Raven said wryly, "He's too busy fraternizing with the enemy," there was a general chuckle among the group, but they turned serious when Gizmo took out a detonator,

"That's only part one of the show. Jinx, move it or lose it!" Gizmo said. Mammoth leapt from out of the sewers and stood next to Gizmo. The Teen Titans were standing on opposite ends than the HIVE Academy graduates. The widening gap between them crumbled threateningly. Starfire landed and inched back, "I do not like where this is heading, please stop?"

"Too late for that, dorkweeds!" 

"Look, just because you can't dress yourself in the morning,"

"Oh, Mr. Roboto wants to consider himself fashion conscious and yet all he wears is that stupid uniform,"

"Look, one more Styx reference and your ass is so grass,"

"I happen to like Styx. But maybe if you stopped acting like a Blaxploitation star," everyone just stared at the two of them. They had been at it for so long.

"Okay, 321 go!" Gizmo screeched. The two villains ran as fast as they could from the chasm as it went up in flames. The chasm widened and the Titans had to back away.

Unfortunately, Jinx and Cyborg had now noticed the coming explosion, but only as it came imminent. Their eyes widened as the flames approached and stopped just an inch before them, "That was way too close, no thanks to you," Jinx said, eying the giant,

"Me? You're the one who didn't move!" The two glared at one another, until they felt the earth give way and fell into the depths beneath them.

************************

"Cyborg!!" Starfire screamed. She flew to follow the falling figures, but she was cut off by Gizmo, who had flown in to intercept, "Let me go. I will go find them and bring them back,"

"There's no way they survived that fall, which reminds me," he tossed a bomb at Starfire, "Surprise!" he flipped his goggles on as the flash startled Starfire and she lost control. She fell to the ruined street in a deafening thud. Unconscious and wounded, Mammoth found her more than useful as a projectile,

"Hehe, hey, you dweebs. Eat this," he tossed the prone alien at the rest of the Titans. Robin caught her as she plowed through the air, and rolled as he was hit with the force she was thrown with, "Idiots,"

"Star, hey, Star! Wake up!" Robin called, shaking her gently, "Beast Boy, carry her back to the Tower,"

The Beast Boy saluted, and transformed into a pterodactyl. He took her gently in his talons and flew off. Raven looked at Robin incredulously,

"We are not evenly matched to deal with these two. Mammoth is enough to cripple either of us in one hit, and Gizmo is a crafty. In conjunction, I don't think we have much of a chance," Raven added venomously, "Wonderful decision, oh fearless leader."

"Okay, so that may have not been the wisest move, but," Robin looked at the retreating Beast Boy, "I don't think we can win this any way we cut it."

Mammoth meanwhile was peering down into the sewers, "I don't think she survived that one," he said, "We should report to the Headmistress,"

"You slimeballs may have been lucky this time," said the diminutive genius, a great big ball of clichés, "But next time, oh just you wait, you'll get yours and your little dog too!" Unfortunately, none of which worked in a threatening manner.

***************************

There was a sensation of unbearable pain as Jinx awoke. She was alive, but that didn't seem to be the best option. "What hit me," she asked to no one, and no one responded. She tried to move her leg, but something heavy was on it, and it hurt to move. She sat up as best she could and looked around. It seemed to be an old subway station, but it couldn't have been in use for ages. Sewage water fell on top her whatever piece of rubble had landed on her. She looked around despondently. It wasn't too bad for a tomb,

"Okay, what hit me," the Cyborg said, as he came to. There was a certain sensation of pain, but most importantly of wetness, a cold and unbearable wetness that made his joints rust. His eye glowed in the darkness, and he turned to feel what unbearably uncomfortable thing he had landed on. He looked around, and saw that he must be in an abandoned subway stations beneath the city. The sewers must be above him, he wagered, and that would account for the icky feeling on his back. However, whatever was under his stomach volunteered an answer,

"A great big fall," she said, irritably. "Get off me, you rotten waste of hardware,"

"What? Fine." He moved off of her leg, "Of all the luck, look, I'd rather get out of here than fight any more. So guess what, you guys win, happy?"

Jinx looked at her leg and cursed. She tried moving it, but even without Cyborg's weight on it the limb refused to move, "Great, just great. You know why you can't get a date?" This looked to offend Cyborg, "Because you're a friggin' tank!"

"Excuse me, but some ladies appreciate the work behind these muscles," Cyborg said, flexing his right arm. He grinned with self-confidence. "Oh yeah, that's a work of art." Jinx stared at him, and then spoke in a sugary tone

"Yeah, but most ladies don't have the pleasure of having all that junk food you eat crushing their leg." Cyborg looked at her, "I think it's broken. I couldn't fight you if I wanted," she said, collapsing on her back, letting the sewer water bounce off her broken leg. She cringed, "Just go away." Cyborg looked at her, weak and defenseless in front of him. He had a surge of power and confidence. He moved up to her, and with a frightening look in his eye leaned beside her broken leg, "I said go away. What are you doing? Don't touch me!"

"Stop squirming," Cyborg said. He looked over the leg, "Yeah, that's broken all right. Not a pretty sight, but that fits you just fine," she scowled at him, "Stop squirming, we've got to find a way out of here."

"We?" Jinx asked, "What's gotten into you all of a sudden. We were trying to beat you five minutes ago,"

"And now you've got a broken leg. If you don't want my help, just say so. I bet your partners will be here any minute now to rescue you anyway. Robin can't do anything right without me around to watch his puny white hide all the time," Cyborg said. Jinx looked at the ceiling,

"They're not coming." Jinx said, despondently, "I failed, and that's the end of that. The Headmistress was going to revoke our H.A.E.Y.P. diplomas if we failed again, after last time. I'm just a liability to them." Cyborg looked at her, and frowned,

"Oh, give it a rest," Cyborg said, taking her gently in his arms and lifting her. "Let's go," Jinx squirmed, and screamed as he carried her down the tunnel.

*****************************

The two unlikely companions trekked down the endless labyrinth beneath the city. Cyborg had been trying to contact the other Titans for the last five minutes, but the signal was lost beneath the endless tunnels. Jinx had stopped screeching after a couple of minutes, but she contested it was only because her throat was sore. "Wasn't there supposed to be white rabbits and tiny doors and bottles that say "Drink Me" down here?" she said, angrily, "Because even something that messed up is better than being stuck with a friggin' Tin Man," she complained,

"Hey, stop your whining. Think about the situation I'm in. I've got to touch you. I'm worried I'm going to be assaulted by a computer virus any second now,"

"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't do that," Jinx said, "No, I'd rather see you rusted and thrown in a junkyard to be sold for scrap metal." She smirked confidently, "That'd be so much more gratifying,"

"You're one messed up little clown, aren't you?"

"I'm not a clown, you… you… Terminator reject!" Jinx squealed, crossing her arms defiantly. Cyborg shrugged and walked on,

"No wonder you have to hang out with those two losers," Cyborg said,

"What do you know about me? You've had all the lucky breaks,"

"Me? Lucky? No way, girl, no way. I'm anything but lucky," Cyborg and Jinx exchanged glares and continued walking down the rails. "Damn, no way this signal's going through,"

"They probably think you're dead," Jinx said, "That's the problem with friends. They never stick around,"

"You've got that wrong, I bet Robin's out looking for a way to track me down. We just got to get someplace where I can get through to them, and we'll be home free,"

"You may be."

**********************************

Robin looked at Starfire's prone form, "Damn, we really got into trouble this time," he muttered. Raven was calmly meditating in the corner, and the frustration Robin felt came full bore on her, "Aren't you even going to pretend to care?"

"Why bother. I have said it before, and I'll say it again,"

"Yeah, yeah, 'people come, people go,'" Robin said, mockingly, "But it would make me feel better,"

"Very well," she went back to meditating. Robin closed his eyes and groaned,

"Why the Hell didn't he listen," Robin asked, expecting no reply. He didn't receive one, "I know he's a big goofball underneath that metal armor, but he's not stupid. I just hope he isn't –"

"He is alive," Raven said,

"How do you know?"

"I had been trying to locate him when you interrupted me," Raven said, "Because I didn't care, I think you said. Wasn't that it?" Raven closed her eyes and concentrated. Robin just stared at her blankly. There was nothing to be said. He sat back and hoped Raven could find him in time. If he's alive, then there's a chance Jinx survived as well, and he didn't want to think about what horrible grudge match those two were building up to.

She could be so close to him now, waiting to pounce.

*********************************

In the time that he knew her, Cyborg would never have once compared Jinx to a kitten before. The girl, exhausted from the fall, had fallen asleep in his arms and curled up. She breathed softly and evenly in her sleep, and a small cat-like small formed on her lips. Cyborg wouldn't be caught dead calling a H.A.E.Y.P. goon cute, but considering that wasn't exactly one of the currently apparent he grinned and softly said, "You're cute when you're not trying to kill me,"

For whatever reason, her smile just grew and she snuggled closer to him. Even if it was a murky abandoned subway, it was suddenly very warm.

Walking through the tunnels endlessly seemed to finally give way to a platform. The stairs led nowhere, but there was a chance he could get a better signal from here, and it was certainly better than trying to imitate that stupid commercial, _Can you hear me? No? Bad…_ thought Cyborg, angrily. He leapt onto the platform and looked around. He could climb up the stairs part of the ways, and maybe that would put his signal into range. He looked at the sleeping Jinx, and decided to first find her something to lay her down on. There was a bench on the platform that seemed relatively dry. He gently placed her down. She shivered, so he kneeled and softly assured her that he would be back soon. She seemed contented by this, even in her sleep.

He climbed the stairs and looked at his Cell-Phone. "Ring, dammit, ring,"

There was an answer, "Yo, Titans Tower. Sorry about this, could you call back?"

"Beast Boy? Beast Boy! Can you hear me?"

"We got an emergency and –Cyborg? Cy! You're okay!" Beast Boy said, blasting into the phone, "Guys!" he seemed farther away, "It's Cyborg!" He could hear the phone being snatched from Beast Boy and then Robin spoke,

"Hey, Cyborg! We were getting scared. What happened back there?"

"Well, while I was distracted defending my honor against that creepy clown girl, we kinda fell into the sewers, and then, through the sewers,"

"You're beneath the sewers?"

"Right. There's some abandoned subway tunnels here,"

"What's the situation on Jinx," Robin asked, "Did she escape?" Cyborg reached an impasse. He could easily tell them he was helping Jinx, but what good would that do. With the team back in contact, suddenly Jinx seemed like the enemy again. Cyborg was silent, not sure what to say. She may have been a pain to deal with, but she had been someone to talk to. He felt cold, "Cyborg? Cyborg, answer me!"

He hung up.

And he didn't know what to do.

******************************

Jinx opened her eyes, and she was confronted with a rundown ceiling. Years ago, the Museum of Natural History had been a popular tourist exhibit. However, times had been changing, and the upkeep on the subway station had become too much for the city to afford. The Museum had become reclusive and only rarely was it visited outside of school field trips.

H.A.E.Y.P. actually took them there once. Jinx enjoyed it. She learned a lot, and she loved the Egyptian exhibit. They had been learning how to steal precious artifacts, but Jinx actually took the real tour. She had been young, little over seven years old, when they had taken the field trip there. Now, more than twice as old and twice as jaded, she was trapped beneath it in a tomb just like the one she had learned. A broken leg and a helper who had left her there while she was asleep. "Great, at least I'll die knowing no one I know will see me like this,"

"Hey, I thought I told you to give it a rest, girl," Jinx sat up and looked to her right. Cyborg was sitting by the rails, trying to think of what to do. He seemed to be consulting one of the instruments attached to his body trying to locate exactly where they were, "Damn, the nearest active station's about a day's walk from here, and I don't have the juice left to do that. Damn, damn, damn."

"You didn't leave," Jinx said, perplexed, "I showed weakness and you didn't leave,"

"That's what heroes do, girl," Cyborg said, "Stick by people. Friend to all, and all that,"

"You're kidding. You actually subscribe to all that crap you spout?" Jinx asked, looking perplexed, "I thought you just said that to put yourself on the moral high ground." Cyborg looked at her,

"You helped stage a coordinated and unprovoked attack on my team," Cyborg pointed out, "We don't need to spout garbage to put us on a moral high ground,"

"Sure, whatever," Jinx said, "How else are we supposed to embarrass you? Play a threatening game of 'No Punch'? As if. I'm just following orders; that's what we do. We're trained mercenaries, it just so happens that we also hate your guts,"

"Right," Cyborg said, "What do they teach you in that school? How to laugh evilly?" 

"Don't be stupid!" Jinx snapped, "We learned how to follow orders using our gifts," she said, "We were taught how to steal, how to fight, how to bargain, how to coax, practical tasks for a good mercenary,"

"And yet you still suck at it, huh? Funny, all that fancy education going down the drain for nothing," Cyborg said,

"It's not all fun and games. There's real work involved, real sacrifices that someone from the bottom of the barrel just wouldn't understand," Jinx said,

"Oh, just because I'm black you assume I'm some kind of poor rapper wannabe that got a lucky break?" he tapped his metallic forehead, "They don't just give out metal prostheses in your normal hospital, girl,"

"Oh, really."

"Yeah, really. My father's a world-renown scientist," Cyborg explained. Jinx shrugged, "And, my mother was no slacker, either,"

"Really," Jinx said, "You expect me to believe you're the kid of two super-geniuses or something?"

"Believe it or not, that's the case," Cyborg shrugged, "I preferred sports to science, even if I did have the knack for it. But, that all changed one day with a lab accident, and my dad," he stopped, "What about you, why did you decide to go evil,"

"Guess I'm just a bad girl," Jinx said, she sat up, "Gah, this stupid leg is going to be the death of me,"

"You're just a pessimist. I'll get you to a hospital, trust me,"

"A hospital? Me? A known criminal? Are you stupid?" Jinx said, "Look, we have to get up there. Are there stairs over there?"

"They stop halfway up," he said. "I all ready looked while you were sleeping." He looked at Jinx and then looked away, "I got in contact with the Titans,"

"So, they're coming," Jinx said, "Well, looks I got a one way trip to jail. Thanks a lot." She sneered at him, "Stupid chrome-dome,"

"Look, I didn't tell them nothing," Cyborg said, " I, I hung up on them the second you came up. I didn't want to, I don't know, I just hung up." Cyborg kicked his legs childishly, looking at the distant depths in front of him. There was a sound from within those depths, rhythmic and metallic. Jinx looked up, and Cyborg stood, looking at the light at the end of the tunnel.

There is a saying about there all ways being a light at the end of the tunnel. Over the years the meaning has been lost, but right in this instant the two meta-humans trapped beneath the city knew what it meant. At the end of the tunnel there's all ways a light, and usually it's a train.

*******************************

Raven opened her eyes, "There is a disturbance," she said simply, "I cannot track him any longer,"

"This just isn't making sense. Jinx must have caught up to him," Robin said. Beast Boy looked distressed,

"This just isn't our day. Poor Cyborg, alone and afraid with a creepy Goth girl after him," he whined. Raven eyed him, but remained quite calm, "You know what those Goths are like," Raven's eyes narrowed, "All ways trying to suck blood," she growled, "And even worse, they carry knives to cut themselves with," this struck a chord ("I do not!" she said, angrily), "And they moan about life all the time, calling it futile," Raven nodded, it was futile, but it at least had moments where she could hurt someone. She looked totally infuriated, and Robin was starting to get afraid to be in her immediate area, "And most frightening of all, she could, she could, she could!! She could read him crappy poetry!!"

And then he landed in a Beast Boy shaped hole in the wall. Robin looked at it for a second before leaving well enough alone, "In any case, we've got to get down there,"

"Right," Raven said, "I volunteer to go. I am curious as to what's causing this disturbance," Robin nodded,

"I, too, wish to help," said a weak voice from the couch. Starfire rose awkwardly and floated over to Raven and Robin, "I was unable to be of any help earlier, and for that I am ashamed." Robin put a hand on Starfire's shoulder,

"How are you feeling? You took a nasty fall there,"

"I am well enough to search for my friend," Starfire said,

"That's all I wanted to hear. Okay, you guys check it out. I'll stay here in case he manages to call again,"

"Very well," Raven said, preparing to depart, "Oh, and Robin." Robin looked up, "Hit Beast Boy once more when he gets up."

*************************************

The subway car stopped right in front of Cyborg, and the door slid open. There was a normal, empty interior, with a few newspapers tossed on the floor, and cold coffee left spilled all over. It was a mess, but that's how subway cars are actually packaged. "It looks perfectly normal," Cyborg said, "But I don't like the look of it at all. This is too normal, in fact it's almost scary."

"Wonderful, scared of a ghost train, Tin Man?"

"Ha friggin' ha. Very funny." Cyborg lifted the sorceress from her position, "This coming from a girl with a scarecrow hairstyle,"

"Humph!"

"Look, clown girl, we ain't got any other option but to ride that train right now. I know it ain't smart, but I got a hunch that we'll regret it if we don't," Jinx just stared at Cyborg. She then proceeded to scream and flail wildly,

"Don't get me involved with your suicide attempt just because you didn't get the part in Robocop!!" Jinx screeched,

"Okay, that one hurt me right there, Little Miss Wednesday Addams!" Cyborg countered. He stepped onto the train and sat Jinx down, and then sat down beside her. He shrugged, and reclined, "Just go with the flow." 

Jinx screeched in protest, "There's no flow to go with, this is a dead-end road!" Cyborg grinned. He ruffled Jinx's hair, "Hey, hands off the merchandise." Cyborg grinned,

"Hey, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Why are you 'just a bad girl'," he asked, "If I believe that I'm a street punk who ended up getting blown up on the right day." Jinx looked at Cyborg, and then at the ceiling,

"I was admitted to H.A.E.Y.P. because I can cause bad things to happen with a simple gesture," Jinx said, "Like my name says,"

"Well, obviously. Like, if there's a small structural flaw that couldn't be taken advantage of in a million years, you could just hex that pillar and it goes crumbling, right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Jinx said, unsure of what he meant by that, "The benefactors of the company took me in when I was small, and raised me to be a dangerous and effective warrior. I don't question my orders, I just follow."

"So, why you so set on proving you're better than us?"

"You made me feel weak," Jinx said, "Helpless. I hate being helpless," she looked mournfully at her leg. She sighed, "In school, I was all ways a bit of an outsider. Many of the students there were from families more like yours, while I can barely even remember my family. Mammoth and Gizmo, while both top students at the school, they weren't accepted readily. We worked together to become a terror to everyone there, and we excelled in our studies,"

"I see," Cyborg shrugged, "I can't ever see you being helpless. You're usually calm and in control,"

"I'm sitting here with a broken leg, at your mercy to whether or not I survive, and barreling to who knows where in a ghost train," Jinx said, "I'm as helpless as it gets,"

"I mean, sure in comparison to us you're in trouble, but I meant at that school. If you're so well trained that you're hired by this Slade guy to take us out, then why would you have anything to fear at that school?"

"The H.A.E.Y.P. wasn't a friendly place. And don't get me started on the dating scene." Jinx groaned, "Where are we going?"

"Beats me. All my fancy gadgets have gone dead,"  
"You idiot!" Jinx screeched, "You're going to get us killed,"

_Attention, passengers…_

"What was that?"

The 7:06 Southbound to the Museum of Natural History is approaching its destinations. However, due to a slight mechanical error, only the front car doors are currently operational. We request that everyone make their way to the front car at this time. Thank you.

The pair looked at one another. "We'd better," said Cyborg,

"I don't think we'll have much of a choice in the matter anyway," Jinx concurred. They looked at the doors, sealed shut and likely never to open again. "Hurry up and pick me up, big guy." Cyborg looked at her,

"You're asking me? I thought I was dragging you along on a suicide run?"

"Well, there's no getting off of this train," Jinx said, "So I may as well get you moving." She lifted up her legs into a ready-to-cradle position and waved. Cyborg hid an approaching wave of embarrassment and picked up the cripple. As soon as they touched, the lights in the car faded out, and they heard the floorboard about to give way,

"What the Hell. Hold on tight, Pussycat." Cyborg ran to the door and barreled into the next car. Inside there was a large group of people, watching them. They had the modesty to be flustered when approaching the throng of people while running around like a pair of newlyweds, "Um, sorry? She, um, broke her leg? And, well, um."

"Um, um, um, um." Jinx glared at Cyborg, "You dolt! There goes the reputation I worked so hard to build." As the train clacked its way down the tracks, the lights faded out. This time the floorboard stayed sturdy, but there was a disgusting sound, like flesh being burned off by intense flame. Jinx sniffed the air, and wrinkled her nose at the stench. "Yuck! What is that smell?"

The lights faded back on. Standing in the place of all the people before were nothing but charred skeletons. Their clothes were approaching ashes, and some of them were still on fire. Some of the sitting skeletons rose and they began to move towards the pair. "I think it was these guys."

"Yes, thanks for observing that Sherlock!"

"You're welcome, Watson, but we don't have time to praise my skills," Cyborg said, "How about I ram these suckers?"

"Anything, just let's get out of here." Cyborg moved Jinx to be held in just his right arm,

"Let me show you how a real player tackles," Cyborg boasted,

"Sure, but you never score," said Jinx, smiling. Cyborg yelled as he charged across the horde of skeletons. The monsters crumbled to dust as the might of the bionic jock plowed through them. Limbs scattered everywhere, many still grasping for his leg. Arm by arm grabbed hold of him, not slowing him down a little bit. The fifteen hands trailed behind him as he reached for the door.

They extended themselves so that they wouldn't fit through. As he broke through the door, he tripped. Jinx fell and she landed on the back of her head. She fell to the floor unconscious. Cyborg merely scraped his all ready metallic knees. The next car was empty, but desolate looking. There was no character to it, merely empty advertisements that had faded away with the years. He rose and looked at the pile that was Jinx. He hair was disheveled and she looked so totally helpless. There was something appealing about having that power over her. He rose, and looked at her, and for the second time that day had a rush of dangerous superiority. 

_No one's here…_

That wasn't his own voice. There was something here, in this car. Cyborg shivered. He knelt besides Jinx. He ran his hand through her hair, and then felt behind her head. There wasn't anything serious, just a small bump. There was something unnatural about her slumber. This whole car was beginning to creep up on Cyborg. Or maybe, there wasn't anything but them in that room.

She looked so weak, so utterly helpless. His hands trailed to her cheek, and then began to reach further. He stopped himself. It wasn't that she was unattractive, and it wasn't that she was his enemy; it was something else that was stopping him.

_You're the man, you're in control_

"No, I can't. It wouldn't be right,"

_You took her this far because you wanted power over her. Now it's time to use it_

"Stop putting thoughts in my head!"

_Smell her aroma, feel her skin, don't fight your instincts._

"I've been fighting them all day," he said. The voice in the darkness, however, was slowly winning,

She deserves to be punished for what she's put you through. She's never once complimented you, never once thanked you.

_Guess I'm just a Bad Girl She's been nothing but trouble. She'll double cross you if you let down you guard _

_And don't get me started on the dating scene._

_Succumb, you fool, be free of your inhibition. She's… _

_Helpless. I hate being helpless._

"NO!" Cyborg screamed, "Get out of my head!" The Titan collapsed onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily.

And the room was silent. He gently stroked Jinx's cheek, "Wake up, Jinx, c'mon," the sorceress's eyes began to slowly open. She looked at Cyborg, leaning over her.

"What just happened? Ugh, feels like I fell out of bed. Was I dreaming?" Jinx looked around "Guess not. Did you hear any strange voices in this room?"

"What do you mean?" Cyborg said, panicked,

"A woman kept telling me to stay asleep. She told me it didn't hurt as much if you just stayed quiet," Jinx shivered, "How long was I out?"

"Not long, Jinx, not long," he picked her up, and felt comfortable for once with her in his arms, "Come on. We're just a couple cars away. Wonder what new nightmares we gonna face after this," Cyborg never liked fighting himself. He had to, every day, between his organic and mechanical halves. But, today, he fought against his instincts, He was the danger this time, and he swore no one, not even himself, would hurt Jinx until this nightmare was through.

*************************************

Raven landed in the dankness of the tunnel. She looked around carefully, and concentrated. "There is something strange about these tunnels," she muttered, "Cyborg may be in more trouble than just Jinx. She may be a powerful witch, but this is beyond her,"

"What is the matter, Raven?" Starfire asked, "There is something 'totally freaky' here?" she said, happily testing her recently established slang term. Raven merely nodded and continued to investigate.

"Which way did he go? Starfire, check down the south tunnel, I'll check the north. We need to find him quickly. There is a lot of residual energy here,"

"Of course. Raven?"

"Yes, Starfire?"

"What shall I do if I find him?" Starfire looked a bit perplexed, "Or what shall you do if you find him,"

"If you find him, fire a star bolt to let me know where you are. I'll find you if I find him," Raven answered mysteriously, fading into the shadows as she walked off. Starfire shrugged, and followed down the south tunnel.

***************************************

The next car seemed out of place. It was as though they stepped onto the Orient Express. "Okay, now this is just getting creepy," Cyborg complained, "Yo, clown girl, you got any idea what this car is?"

"It looks like the train we were sent on when we were first admitted into the H.A.E.Y.P. These compartments lead to private rooms for two of the new students. I was in, oh, I don't think I'll ever live the number down, room 49.  Wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so many Japanese students. Anyway, what are you doing?" Cyborg looked at the compartment he was standing next to, "Something catch your eye, chrome?"

"This is room 46. Your room must be at the end of the hall,"

"Okay, this is weird." She didn't look very happy with the arrangement. Cyborg walked down the hall, apprehensively. "Yeah, I was about to say. The second we get to my room something nasty's going to jump out and try and eat us. This is like some kind of bad B-movie,"

"This is getting repetitive. Hell, I'm going to make a break for it," he smiled at Jinx, "Hold on tight, this may get bumpy." She wordlessly held on tight to Cyborg and he began to charge down the hall. Jinx closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was behind the door. The door didn't open, but there was needlessly a feeling of grief. She swore she heard a voice she thought she'd never hear again.

She was just a bad girl.

Cyborg broke down the next door, and they stood at the front train. They could see the blue uniform of the conductor beyond the next door, and they could see out at the track. Cyborg sat down. Jinx rested on his lap. "That was one Hell of a trip."

"Yeah, it was," Jinx said. She was unaware about the tremble in her voice,

"You okay?" Cyborg said,

"What?" her voice caught in her throat. She let out a haggard breath, "Oh, oh. That's nothing, absolutely nothing,"

"Come on, let it out. I ain't about to go and ruin your reputation after all this. What's bugging you?"

"I'm just remembering the final exam, in our combat class," Jinx said, steeling herself, "It's nothing to cry over,"

"Look, for some reason this train decided to remind you of the school. It may be awful, but it must be worse keeping it inside," Cyborg said, "I won't judge on anything, either. There, we're on equal footing,"

"HIVE doesn't accept failures, you see," Jinx said, "It was the most frightening day of my life. We were taken to a secluded island, only a limited amount of food, and we were being watched. The student who survived the week would pass that class. Groups of ten were placed on an island no bigger than a football field. We had to kill to survive. We were monitored, and if we showed any signs of cowardice we were…eliminated."

"How?" Cyborg asked. He gently placed a hand on Jinx's shoulder, "How'd they manage to do that?"

"They're powerful. It's better to be on their side than be their enemy." She looked at Cyborg, her eyes red from crying, "I had to kill my roommate of seven years. She had been my bunkmate on the train as well."

"That explains that, then,"

"I heard her voice, I heard it," Jinx muttered, "I've never been so scared in my life. She was a living matter transmuter, but I came out on top." She heaved out a sigh and looked at the door to the conductor's room. She watched the rails go by and saw a growing light in the distance. "Is that another train?"

"Let's go check," Cyborg suggested, and lifted Jinx up. They went to the front room, and looked inside, "Yo, freak train, what's going on?"

The conductor didn't move. He was impaled on the brake shaft.

"Okay, I didn't want to see that, either," announced Jinx.

*************************************

The other train was a wall. The lights on the front of the ghost train were reflecting off of it. That didn't stop it. Jinx braced herself for imminent impact, as did Cyborg, "Hey, chrome-dome,"

"Yeah, clown girl?"

"Just wanted you to know, it's been a pleasure dying with you,"

"Same." They waited for the impact, but a noise came like a release. The train was still heading for a wall, but it was now turning upwards and was about to break through the ceiling. "And at least we can claim to have the weirdest train crash ever,"

"You idiot! Now's not the time for stupid comments like that. Now's the time for the tragic heroine to say something dramatic,"

"What am I? Chopped liver?"

"Worse, you're her faithful sidekick who no one likes," she contested. The train rammed through the ceiling without any troubles and no one was hurt. They didn't seem to notice, they were too busy arguing amongst themselves.

"I don't see why I'm the guy no one likes. I'm the one that's been lugging you from the beginning!"

"Yeah?"  
"Yeah!"

"Well, um, THANKS!"

"You're WELCOME!" There was dead silence. They looked around. There was definitely a hole in the ground, and they were definitely standing on the edge of it, but there was no train. To make things even more perplexing, the hole was starting to close itself up. "This is just getting freakier and freakier." He leaned against a wall for support,  "Where are we now?"

"It looks like the museum. Actually, it looks like the Middle East exhibit." Jinx looked around, "I love this exhibit." Cyborg looked at Jinx and began to laugh, "What's so funny?"

"Your hair's just sticking up every which ways," he said. Her hair had fallen out of its pigtails and into a mess that looked like a halo of poorly dyed pink cotton candy. She attempted to tidy it up, but only succeeded in making it worse and making Cyborg laugh even harder. She looked over her knight in metal armor, noticing all the filth that had encrusted itself to his shoulder and back,

"Well," she sniggered, "You're no better. Look at you, Sir Muck-About,"

"Sir? I'm a knight now?" Cyborg grinned, "Well fancy that. Which way to the exit, Jinx?"

"Well," she smiled, "Cyborg, we're at the far end of the museum. We have to pass this exhibit, and then the Dinosaur displays to get to the main exit. That's where we started. Fortunately, it's also straight unlike those tunnels. It's more like a maze down there."

"Yeah, you'd be amazed how damn annoying it is making all those snakey turns." Cyborg grinned, "But I made it. You can thank me later,"

"Sure. Right now I'm trying to get why this feeling of energy is stronger than ever,"

"Energy?"

"Hard to say what it is, it's like inextinguishable life," Jinx said, "It's like the exhibits here have taken on a life of their own. I'd bet it's safe to say that's part of the reason for that ghost train. The museum must remember everything that's happened in and around it because of all these ancient treasures,"

"Okay, that's pretty damn creepy. I was hoping it was all just a bad nightmare."

"What, you haven't enjoyed out little underground tour?" Jinx teased, "I thought you were starting to have some fun,"

"Sure, clown girl, if your idea of fun is riding a demented ghost train where memories of bad things just seem to come up," Cyborg said,

"I think fun's letting someone else do all the acrobatics for a change." Jinx smiled, "Besides, I got to spend quality time with someone outside my clique, which will surely brighten up my rather dreary diary,"

The Cyborg began down the hallways of the museum, "You know, I don't think I've ever been here,"

"Not many people have," Jinx said, "That actually cared about it. I think the dinosaurs were the big draw, but then again, all they have is some iguanodon creature. Nothing special about the hitchhiker of the dinosaur world,"

"No, I mean, I been to plenty museums, my parents pushed me to follow in their footsteps, but I never seen half this stuff. I would have loved it,"

"You too?"

"I mean, sure, dinosaurs. But look, they got all these artifacts, all these mummies. These were the things I watched on Saturday morning teaming up with Captain America."

"I'd rather not watch your TV shows, if that's the case." They passed by the Egyptian exhibit; "These mummies are just creepy at this time of night." She half expected one of them to come to life and grab her. However, nothing moved. She felt almost totally convinced there was some evil spirit lingering near here. She loved this exhibit when she was young, but now there was a sinister twist. The mummies leered at her, the artifacts seemed hollow and lifeless. She looked at Cyborg. He didn't seem very comfortable with this either,

"Let's get out of here quickly."

They had made it to the artifacts of Bast before they had any trouble. 

*******************************

Starfire had found the pathway to be short and simple. She passed the platform that Cyborg had contacted them from before long, and a few minutes later she saw a crash site. The destroyed train hadn't been moved in years. There was an old newspaper by the ruins, yellowed and dying. "What is this? 'Train of Pain Brought To Bloody End'. Oh no, this is very, very bad. Raven!" she fired off the star bolt lighting up the tunnel.

Raven was there within the minute, "What is it?" she asked irritably, "Oh, good, you found an old train wreck. Now that we've found this, it will be so very easy to find where Cyborg is. Your logic is impeccable,"

"But Raven, did you not say there was an unnatural disturbance in this region?"

"Yes, I did, but I didn't mean any train wreck,"

"Maybe the tunnels are haunted?"

"Usually hauntings need a bit more of a history than a train wreck. It takes millennia to accumulate enough energy to create a disturbance too large for me to decipher. The only place that could have that much raw spectral energy would be inside a pyramid,"

"I believe when I had previously visited the Museum of Natural History they had relics from inside a pyramid. They were very pretty," Starfire said, vaguely. She had an idea but English wasn't the best language to relate it in.

"Starfire," Raven said. Her voice was monotone, "Remind me to kick myself later. We need to get to the museum."

*************************************

Bast was a Cat Goddess. She was the Eye of Ra, one of the many guardians of the Pharaoh. It's not at all true that people get cursed by robbing tombs, they do that to themselves, its rather that the antiquities within these temples start storing up energy, spirit power, that is fueled by desires, base and primal, left in the person in their deaths.

Bast was not a happy spirit vessel, either. Years and years of empty silence with the spirit energy slowly building did not mesh well with the dark and even dangerous underworld of the city. Underneath the museum for years on end there had been secret crimes that no one knew of. Secret rapes, secret murders, and the ultimate destruction of the train sent all these pent up primal urges up to Bast, the vessel of so many years of undisturbed spirit.

It now needed to pass this task off on a messenger. It needed someone innately cat-like, someone who would mesh well with the years and years of servitude, and someone who had a heart that loved the desert.

Jinx had these qualities. Bast filled her with knowledge, horrible knowledge, of all the misdeeds of those who had lived in the city. All this crime, the stars themselves would demand nothing less than destruction for this culture. "I must tell everyone,"

"Yo, Jinx, what you babbling about? Who's everyone?"

"Let me go, golem," she demanded, "I must deliver this message to the sun and stars so they may pass judgment on,"

"Okay, Jinx, this isn't funny. Stop joking around. I know it's a taxing day, but no need to go crazy on me." Cyborg let Jinx down. She tried to get to her feet, but the broken limb just gave way, "Hey, come on, don't try and walk on that. We need to get you to a doctor, Jinx,"

"I need the memory of the giant dragon," Bast said through Jinx's hollow form, "Take me to the giant dragon," she demanded.

Cyborg wasn't sure what to do, "Look," he said, "We need you to see a doctor, and I'm sure I can pull a few strings to let you off easy, Jinx. Let's just get out of here and forget this whole thing." He picked her up. She smiled, "There, that's better isn't it?"

"Certainly," she would pretend to be this Jinx for a little while longer. She was almost to the Giant Dragon. It peeked around the corner at the Egyptian display. Its skeletal mass would serve her purposes fine. She could then begin the long hard trek back to the land of Ra.

It was certainly an impressive fossil, Cyborg thought, as he passed by it. "That's a pretty cool hitchhiker, Jinx," he said. She didn't respond, "Jinx?"

"My name is Bast, mortal," she said, "I hear all the suffering of this city, and it must end now. You only breed new evil into this world, your net worth is worse than nothing."

"What's wrong, Jinx?" Cyborg said, suddenly worried about this mad turn in Jinx. Behind him, the fossils of the giant Iguanodon began to move. Muscles, ancient and stone, began to form on it. The magic in the museum brought it to life, and the frightening mixture of stone and blood screeched at Cyborg. He slowly turned around and stared at it, "What's going on here?"

******************************

_Wearedeathmurderrapedestructionkillingmindlessenselessdarknessevil_

_            It Must Be Stopped. Deliver the Message to Ra_

_                        I'm so scared._

_Look, just because you can't dress yourself in the morning_

"What have you done with Jinx?" Cyborg demanded. He waved a fist at the monstrous beast. Jinx perched herself on the shoulder of the monster, "If you've done anything to her,"

"I must deliver this message to Ra. Clear the way, or you will be first to taste vengeance."

"I can't let that happen, I'm a superhero, and I all ways save the day," Cyborg said, "And I also all ways save the damsel." The Iguanodon reared back its hand to swipe Cyborg. He leapt back, "Come on, big man, try and take me,"

                                    _You're cute when you're not trying to kill me_

                        Let me go! I refuse to do this! 

_            It is our duty… Deliver the message!_

Darknessshadowsvenompoisonlifeextinguishedwearethevirus 

"Come on, Jinx," Cyborg said, "Snap out of it." He called to her, but she didn't answer. The spirit of Bast was too powerful. She just watched with a vacant grin on her face as the monstrous relic tried to destroy the robotic warrior. He grabbed hold of one of the arms, "Okay, big guy, eat this," he took one arm and slammed it against the stone monstrosity. It cracked, slowly, but surely, it began to wear.

"You cannot destroy us,"

_                        I feel so helpless…nothing I can do…_

_Vilevilenothingbuthatredintheworldthatwecreatewithourvenomevil_

_            Deliver the message._

_Hold on tight, Pussycat._

"But Jinx can." Cyborg said. The fossil collapsed as Bast's power wildly flew from Jinx's mouth and eyes. She seemed suspended in the air. And then she fell. Cyborg ran to catch her, but try as he might, there would all ways be a fossil in the way. As she fell, he felt totally hopeless. One night and everything had changed, one night and he would cry over the death of his enemy.

They weren't really enemies at all.

***************************

Starfire and Raven landed at the Museum in time to see Cyborg exit.

He didn't talk to them.

He just ran past, carrying a frail, but beautiful doll in his hand. It was life-sized, and looked like it could almost be alive.

It had once been.

********************************

He didn't have a second to lose. If he hesitated just one moment, he could lose her. The hospital. That was his only destination. He leapt over the chasm, and moved to down the street. The hospital was down towards his right way. He took the next street., and it began looming over him as he ran down the road. She was becoming so cold, and it began to scare him.

He refused her death. He wouldn't let this happen. He barged through the doors. One more breakthrough, and he was in the emergency room, "I ain't got time to explain!" he yelled, "I need help, she stopped breathing!"

The doctors huddled around the figure. There was still a heartbeat. There was still a chance. They hurried him to the waiting room, telling him to calm himself down. He looked at Jinx one last time as they closed the door, and said simply: "Don't do anything bad to her, got it?"

The Titans arrived quickly. Raven had wanted to ask what had happened in the museum, but Starfire stopped her. "Cyborg, something seems to be troubling you greatly. If I may, I would be honored to help you understand the trouble?" Cyborg looked at her vaguely. He didn't know who she was at the moment. She seemed familiar, but there was something just vague about all his friends,

"Cy? Something's really bugging you, man. Why you here? Family hurt?" Beast Boy asked concerned, "I can see you wanna be left alone, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry guys," Cyborg said, hollowly, "I'm just tired right now. You guys head home without me. I'll be back soon, don't worry." The others seemed reluctant, but they followed his wishes. Raven looked at him curiously as she left.

"Hurt?" said a familiarly obnoxious voice,

"Robin, what are you doing? I told you to go home!"

"I'm still trying to figure something out. Your phone's in your arm, so how could Jinx hang up your phone?"

"Shut up, Wonder Boy," he said, angrily, "Don't push me right now,"

"You know it can't possibly work out, right?" he said, "I should know when you consider who my guardian is,"

"Look, I don't care if it can't work out, man, it's just…"

"You know, maybe Batman's just totally bad at this romance game, Cyborg," he patted him on the shoulder, "Try and get back before dawn."

He hadn't left when dawn had come.

************************************

Jinx looked at her cast. It was purple, because she liked the color. She smiled, "A few months out of action, but sooner than you know it," she made gestures and appropriate sound effects. She hadn't a single visitor. It's likely that Gizmo and Mammoth would be along when they finally learned she was still alive, but she wasn't eager for them to visit. She was waiting for someone special to come, someone she could trust, someone that was reliable. She was waiting for Cyborg to come.

She wanted to thank him.

The doctors said that he had to go home, and that he wouldn't be back until later that afternoon, but she wanted to see him soon. That night had been a roller coaster. She waited patiently by the window for him to come. Her wheelchair was equipped with a rack of magazines she chose to read. She was updating herself on the world of fashion when a timid knock came at her door. She yelled, "It's open," and the door cracked open. Looking out of place with a bouquet of flowers was Cyborg. "For me? You shouldn't have… I mean, really. Can't you get the colors right at all?"

"Bad girl for life, huh?" Cyborg said, placing the flowers on her bed, "You scared me half to death, Jinx,"

"Sorry, sorry." Jinx smiled, "Can't help it, I'm just Egyptian Goddess caliber stuff," she looked at the flowers on the bed, "Could I see them?" Cyborg handed her the flowers, "Thank you. They're pretty,"

"We,well," Cyborg stuttered, "Jinx, I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I've made sure no one's called the police on you."

"My Tin Soldier," she said, whimsically, "You know, they say that it can't work out, me being a super villain bad girl for life, you being a goodie-two-shoes cyber knight."

"Yeah, that's what they say."

"You know what I think?" Jinx said as she stared out the window at the city below, "I don't think they had to carry a girl like me so valiantly through a winding labyrinth of tunnels,"

"Yeah." He kneeled next to Jinx and looked at her petit face. She was a clown-faced demented pink-wig wearing Goth princess wannabe with a foul mouth and a wicked temper. She looked back, he was a chrome-domed irritating rude terminator wannabe reject Robocop punk goody-two-shoes. He looked out at the afternoon sky. He could see the giant T, and the great expanses of the city. Someday, they would be enemies again, bad girl vs. lucky punk. But for the moment, all they needed was this moment, and only one thing was needed to make this moment perfect.

"Smile for me, Pussycat."

fin


End file.
